Fox Nation has signed its second deal in the live sports arena as the exclusive broadcast partner for Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Chad Bronstein’s Real American Freestyle (RAF).
Fox Nation President Lauren Petterson announced the new deal on Monday. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Real American Freestyle team as they build a visionary brand that redefines the future of wrestling,” Petterson said in a statement. “Fusing elite athleticism with unmatched entertainment, it’s an honor to be part of the new era of the world’s oldest and most iconic sport.”
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As part of the partnership, Fox Nation will broadcast the inaugural match, RAF01, which is scheduled for Aug. 30 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland. Additionally, Fox Nation has secured the broadcast rights for the second event that will take place this fall. The venue and more details about the match will be announced at a later date.
“Real American Freestyle is creating something that’s never been done before, and we needed a partner that understood that and could build with us,” Hogan said. “Fox Nation is synergistic with our brand, they appreciate the importance of bringing this sport to the masses, and they believe in our goal.”
Led by Hogan, Bischoff, Bronstein and Izzy Martinez, RAF is an amateur-style wrestling competition with a mission to professionalize the sport. Wrestler and Olympian Kurt Angle, former MMA champion and broadcast analyst Chael Sonnen, and MMA world champion Bubba Jenkins joined the event as commentators to provide analysis during RAF01.
“Fox Nation immediately understood the vision we had for Real American Freestyle, making them the perfect partner for this historic media rights deal and the first of its kind in the sport,” Bischoff said. “Having the right broadcast partner is critical to putting on a good show for the fans, and we are thrilled to be working with Fox.”
In collaboration with UFC, USA Wrestling, NIL organizations and the NCAA, RAF allows emerging and established athletes to compete. Proceeds from each ticket sold will be donated to Cleveland State University to support its efforts in providing opportunities for thousands of students to achieve academic and athletic excellence.
“Our goal in creating Real American Freestyle was to make historical moves to professionalize the sport of wrestling,” Bronstein, co-founder and CEO of RAF, said. “This partnership with Fox Nation will create a platform the athletes deserve and bring freestyle wrestling to our fans at home.”
The first matches for RAF01 will feature Bo Nickal vs. Jacob Cardenas, Yianni Diakomihalis vs. Bajrang Punia, Darrion Caldwell vs. Real Woods, Austin Gomez vs. Lance Palmer, Kennedy Blades vs. Alejandra Rivera and Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Zeltzin Hernandez.
PROGRAMMING
“Big Brother” winners Taylor Hale and Derrick Levasseur will lead the new bi-weekly CBS series “Big Brother: Unlocked.”
The show, which will focus on season 27, is set to debut on Friday, July 25. Hale and Levasseur will guide viewers through never-before-seen broadcast footage, interviews and behind-the-scenes moments from inside the “Big Brother” house. The series will feature recurring segments, including “BB Fantasy Draft,” “Big Move/Bad Move” and “Binge Worthy or Cringe Worthy.” Additionally, the hosts will be joined by celebrity guests and other “Big Brother” alumni to break down the current season.
In Season 24, Hale made history as the first Black woman to win “Big Brother” and the first houseguest to win both the grand prize and America’s favorite houseguest. Levasseur, who is also a former undercover detective, made it to the final three in Season 16 before his eviction.
The series will air every other week on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
DATES
Apple TV+’s “Loot” will premiere its third season this fall, with its first two episodes debuting on Oct. 15, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through Dec. 10.
The official logline for “Loot” states, “The upcoming season will also continue to follow the antics of the beloved group of misfits at The Wells Foundation as they work together so Molly can live up to her promise of giving away all of her vast fortune.”
Alongside Maya Rudolph, the returning cast members include Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Nat Faxon, Ron Funches and Joel Kim Booster. Additionally, Season 3 will feature special guest star appearances from Stephanie Styles, D’Arcy Carden, Adam Scott, Zane Phillips, Henry Winkler, X Mayo and more.
The series, which debuted in June 2022, follows Molly, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after getting an $87 billion divorce settlement from her wealthy tech billionaire husband, John Novak (Adam Scott), after 20 years, and is thriving in her role as the head of her philanthropic organization, the Wells Foundation.
“Loot” is created and executive produced by Matt Hubbard and Alan Yang, alongside Rudolph, with her producing partner Danielle Renfrew Behrens of Banana Split, Dave Becky of 3 Arts, Dean Holland and Natasha Lyonne. Hubbard serves as showrunner on Season 3. “Loot” is produced for Apple by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
EXECUTIVE NEWS
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has promoted five new women from its staff to executive positions.
The promotions include Amy Schmelzer to head of news & sports, Christine Chin to head of documentary and technology & engineering, Cherie Housley to head of awards, Jessica Ward to manager of Academy operations and Cara Fortuna to digital content producer. Joining Rachel Schwartz, who became the first female Head of the Daytime Emmys and Children’s & Family Emmys last summer, six women now hold senior awards leadership positions at NATAS.
“These promotions recognize the hard work and unique talents of our national office team,” said NATAS chief of staff Lara Gates. “Each appointment reflects the expertise and leadership these individuals bring to their roles, and we’re proud to highlight the strength of female leadership at NATAS. Their dedication will continue to shape the Academy’s bright future.”
NATAS will hold the 52nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Oct. 17 in Pasadena, and is currently collecting votes for the 76th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards and the 4th Annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards.
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